The Beauchamp Family Foundation, created in honor of Dr. Robert Beauchamp, founder of Western Dental Services, Inc., recently donated $400,000 to the University of Southern California School of Dentistry.
The donation was part of a $1 million gift to the school announced earlier by the Beauchamp Family Foundation to establish the Charles M. Goldstein Endowed Professorship in Community Dentistry.
The professorship honors Dr. Goldstein, who currently serves as director of community outreach programs for the university and is known to many at USC as the "father of the mobile clinic" for pioneering dental outreach to underserved communities.
Under Dr. Goldstein's direction, the school's community outreach programs have provided free oral health care to tens of thousands of people throughout the Greater Los Angeles area and the State of California, including comprehensive care for children.
He also is credited with initiating a history of external funding for the programs, which continues to sustain them today.
Established in 1999, the Beauchamp Family Foundation was created by Dorothy Beauchamp to honor her late husband, Dr. Robert Beauchamp, and his commitment to providing quality dentistry at affordable prices to the underprivileged.
Dr. Beauchamp founded Western Dental Services, the largest staff model provider of dental services in California and one of the nation's leading dental health maintenance organizations. The company today operates 170 dental centers throughout California and Arizona, many of which also provide orthodontic services.
"It is with great pride that the Beauchamp Family Foundation has funded a professorship in honor of Dr. Goldstein," said David Beauchamp, the Beauchamps' son.
"Both Dr. Goldstein and my father have been innovative in leading the way in meeting the dental needs of many people in our communities who can least afford the care," he noted.
Expressing his gratitude to the Foundation and the Beauchamp family, Harold Slavkin, dean of the USC School of Dentistry, said, "The Goldstein professorship honors the pioneers in our state for providing dental care to those who could not afford or access it.
"Our dental school is known for reaching out to the community and providing dentistry for children and others in need," he added. "The same is true for Dr. Beauchamp's dental centers, which have served and continue to serve important segments of our population."
